The Lingering Melody of Lucy
by JoNaNaNa
Summary: SEQUAL TO: Lucy's Song - Kanashiki Kako. To be worthy, you must protect your nakama. You must love your family, cherish each passing moment and take on every challenge with your head held high and a smile donning your lips. That's what she was taught, that is what she abides by. But is she worthy enough? Set three years after LS-KK. Eventual Natsu x OC.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Two Strangers

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

A/N: There is a little prequel one-shot to this, called Lucy's Song - Kanashiki Kako. You don't have to read it, but I really don't want to say what the plot is in this little author's note. But if you read on, you'll find out what happened soon enough.

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

The guild was rowdy, as it usually was everyday.

There was a massive fight brawling in the middle of the room between the two dragon slayers, Gajeel and Natsu, and Gray, resulting in upturned tables and thrown chairs, and many other guild mates involved in fighting as well. Erza, with her long red hair braided and eyebrow twitching, sat in her normal attire which consisted of a white ruffled blouse, a blue skirt and knee lengths black boots, sat on one of the many stools occupying the space before the bar.

"Enough!" Erza yelled, causing the three main men and many other people to snap their heads up. "There shouldn't be fighting today."

"Uh, Erza. We're not fighting! Right, Natsu?" Gray shakily replied, slinging an arm around Natsu's shoulders. He was half-naked as he usually was, but he wore a pair of dark green trousers with a metal chain hanging loosely from on of the belt loops, instead of wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Aye!" Natsu fist bumped the air, staring at Erza as beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Natsu and Gray glanced at each other, sweat sliding down their faces with fear evident in their eyes as they trembled before Erza. Natsu, as well as Gray, was half naked. He himself wore his white muffler and a pair of loose gray trousers that stopped just below his knee.

The re-quip mage narrowed her steely gaze. "None of you shall fight today. We shouldn't disrespect Lucy."

"Oh! It's the third anniversary today, isn't it?" Mira asked sadly, wiping down a few cups in a slow manner. Everyone in the guild lowered their heads, thinking about the fallen mage. Three years ago today, Lucy sacrificed her life to save Natsu from a surprise attack.

"It was a terrible loss… and we all miss her greatly." Makarov conceded, sitting on the bar with his staff on his lap. "But Lucy wouldn't want us to be upset."

"As Master said, please do not be upset. That will only upset Lucy. We have to cherish each passing moment for her sake…okay?" Mira said, tilting her head slightly.

"Thank you, Mira."

The massive guild doors burst open, revealing a distressed young woman holding a young boy in her arms in a bridal fashion. She shakily ran up to Makarov, most of her long brown hair constricted by the bag she had slung over her shoulders. She kneeled in front of the elderly man, clutching the child close to her chest. Everyone in the room stopped, staring at the pale young woman. Just who was she?

"Sir! Please, help my brother." The girl blurted quickly but quietly, causing those around Makarov to lean in to hear her faint words. "His name is Xavier."

Makarov hopped down from the counter, standing in front of the girl with worried eyes. He placed a wrinkled hand on the girl's shoulder, which caused her to look up. Tears bubbled at the edges of her honey-coloured eyes, as the slightly tan boy in her arms breathed raggedly, his face flushed and twisted in pain. The boy's head tilted in towards the girl's chest, hiding half of his face but everyone could hear the rasping breaths he struggled to take. His arms wrapped around his stomach, as the girl blinked up towards the man.

"Come, my child. I will take you to Porlyusica. She is an expert at healing magically inflicted wounds, but she can also heal many sicknesses."

"Thank you, sir." The girl cried, her head bobbing down. Tears slid down her face and unto her brother's cheek, his mop of forest green hair hiding his eyes. "Thank you…"

"Tell me this, child. What is your name?"

"Melody." The girl replied, sniffling.

"We need to tend to you as well, child. You look battered."

Melody looked down at her clothes, noticing how shredded her shirt looked and the few cuts and bruises that were visible on her arms and legs. "Forget about me! Take care of my brother first… Please…"

"Do you know how he managed to become sick?"

"Yes…" Melody paused, before shakily continuing. "Possibly five days ago, a handful of mages ambushed our town. A number of them attacked our house." Melody took a few breaths, glancing down at her brother. "Xavier was struck by a spell… a-and if I recall properly, it was a sort of heat spell. One that would boil your insides painfully until you died a week later… I wasn't sure, but the man who cast the spell had told us that. Once Grandma realised that the spell couldn't be healed by any normal doctor and we didn't have the proper ingredients to treat such a spell, they sent us here, to find you. The few rogue mages were still there, attacking the townspeople but our grandparents held them off for awhile. Including our family, and around three young couples, we were the only mages." Melody sniffed, looking up to Makarov.

"Come, child." the Master stated urgently, "We must leave now, before your brother worsens."

Melody shakily stood up, clutching her brother close. Makarov briskly walked in front of her, and he stopped when he reached the front entrance. "Wendy. Come with us, if you will." And with that he left, with Melody quickly following.

"Ah, wait up!" the sky mage cried, running after the Master and the girl. She glanced over her shoulder and with a quick apologetic wave, she followed after the Master with the guild doors slamming behind her.

All guild members were dumb-founded. Firstly, a young woman burst in with her brother, who was ill. Everyone saddened at the image of that distressed little boy stuck in their minds, but as they were all busy dealing with their own troubles, they never noticed Lucy's keys, that were hung up on the wall behind the bar protected in a small glass case, faintly glow.

But one lady did. She noticed how the keys lit up when Melody and her little brother stepped foot in here. Mira furrowed her brows together as she stared at the case, her hand cupping her chin. Could this glow mean that Xavier or Melody was a celestial spirit mage?

It was most likely true, as Lucy had told her that keys would glow around celestial spirit mages the holder didn't know. But who could it be? Mira thought it was most likely the girl, but she wasn't sure. The S-Class mage knew that one of them was a spirit mage, but she couldn't tell which. They both emitted strange magical auras - one that was new to her and one that was very familiar. It was possible that they were together for the boy's entire life, so their magical aura had most likely merged together which may explain why Mira couldn't pin point who had the familiar magic and who didn't.

"…-chan…"

"Nee-chan."

"Nee-chan!"

Mira snapped out of her trance, spinning round in her heel and staring at the tan face of her brother. She smiled warmly, placing her hands on the bar table as Freed stood beside her, wiping down a few mugs and placing them neatly on the shelves below the wooden tabletop.

"Nee-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't you worry about me.

* * *

"Shoo! I hate humans!" Porlyusica yelled, shaking a broom at a slightly shaking Wendy. "And you…" The elderly woman swiftly turned glaring daggers at Melody. "You must leave! You will stink up the place!"

"I'm sorry for disobeying your orders, Porlyusica-san but please may I stay?" Melody bowed, her face hidden behind a veil of long brown hair.

"No! Out, all of you." The healing mage sighed, setting the old broom down in the corner. "Worried faces will not help the healing process."

"Oh, I see…" Melody hummed sadly, straightening up. "I hope you don't mind me asking this, Porlyusica-san. I don't intend on doubting your abilities, but when will Xavier be fully recovered?" Melody nervously looked at the healing mage, expecting her to bite her head off as she had previously done to Wendy and Makarov-san.

"Tomorrow evening, I presume." The lady replied, with a gentler tone. She walked towards the bed that had Xavier neatly tucked under the covers. He was still panting unevenly but his condition had improved greatly in under the space of ten minutes.

"I presume he will stay here until then, miss?"

"Yes. If that is alright with you."

Frowning, Melody sighed. "I don't wish to leave him, but I know he is in safe hands. Thank you again, Porlyusica-san."

The elderly lady shook it off with a flick of her hand, indicating that it was time for the trio to make their exit. As Makarov and Wendy calmly left, Melody slowly trudged to the door. With a final glance over her shoulder, she stared at Xavier until the door was fully closed.

"I hope that Xavier is alright. He hasn't been without me for a really long time."

"I'm sure he will be fine, child. Porlyusica is an expert when it comes to magically inflicted wounds!" Makarov smiled, swinging his staff around slightly in one hand as he led the group back to the guild. "By the way… Do you wish to join our guild, Melody? I can sense magical abilities flowing from you and your brother."

Wendy nodded animatedly, her ponytail bobbing furiously. "It would be lovely to have you! You have to get your stamp and then you have to meet everyone…" The sky mage's words trailed off as she was quickly interrupted by the brunette.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but first Xavier and I have to head home and check if Grandma and Grandpa are alright. They've always wanted us to join a guild with Fairy Tail being their top choice, though." Melody hummed, fixing the straps of her bag so it lay more comfortably. A red rolled up sleeping bag lay locked in place upon her bag, hiding most of her hair from view.

"I understand, child." Makarov nodded. He stopped and swivelled around abruptly, his staff thudding against the firm, earthy ground. "Wendy, I hope you don't mind but may you please go with Melody and her brother? Bring Romeo, if you wish."

"That's fine, Master." Putting a hand on the celestial mage's shoulder, the bluenette gently said, "If that's alright with you, Melody."

"Yes, that's fine. It would be great for you to come." Melody placed her hand atop of her friend's and smiled warmly.

"Ne… Master?" Wendy turned, focusing her attention on the small man. Her hand dropped from her friend's shoulder and nervously grabbed the hem of her shirt.

"Hmm, child?"

"Could Asuka come with us? It'd be great for her if she could make friends with Xavier, seeing as there aren't many young ones around."

"You have to ask Bisca and Alzack first."

"Yes, I will."

And so, the three walked home to Fairy Tail where everyone was up to their usual antics. Mira was busy behind the bar, taking and serving orders, along with the help of Freed. Romeo was sitting on a barstool sipping away at a milkshake, politely chatting to the green-haired mage behind the bar. Elfman was yelling about being a man with Evergreen swatting him with a fan, scolding him for calling everything manly. Juvia was clutching on to Gray's arm, almost causing the circulation to stop well, circulating in his arm as Gray stared down at her, a light red dusting his cheeks as he tried to gently pry her arm off of him so he could sling an arm around her waist. Lisanna and Bixlow were sitting with Cana and Laxus as Bixlow, Laxus and Cana had a small drink off, with Cana being the supreme winner. Natsu and Gajeel, with Levy plonked on the Iron Dragon Slayer's lap, were having an arm-wrestling match, with Happy, Carla and Pantherlily watching them as they circled from above.

The doors yet again burst open, revealing a serious looking Makarov and two smiling girls. When spotting Romeo, Wendy apologised to Melody before running over to her close friend, taking the seat beside him, as Mira handed the girl a new milkshake. Everyone was momentarily stunned when Makarov burst open the doors, letting them slam into the wall which meant one of them would have bounced back into Makarov's face if it wasn't for the new girl.

"Ah, thank you Melody." The old man grumbled, grinning up at the girl. The guild master clapped loudly, signalling everyone to quiet down. After a few moments, the guild was silent as they all stared at the girl behind Makarov.

"Meet Melody, everyone. She will be staying with us until her brother becomes well enough to travel."

* * *

A/N: Eh, yes... Hello!

I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter. It's not the greatest but I believe future chapters will be better. Please leave a review if you want this to continue or not. I would love to hear your responses.

I apologise for any grammatical errors. I don't have a beta reader and it usually takes me awhile to find the mistakes, but once I do, I will correct them.

Again, I really hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for reading. It means alot, really. So before I go, I want to thank Loralite, a person who reviewed LS-KK, and gave me some inspiration in writing this. Ever since I got Loralite's review, this story has been buzzing about in my mind, so thank you.

That's all. So, goodbye.

Until next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - The little town of Shizuma

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Strong sunshine filtered through the clean windows of the train carriage that the mages were occupying. It was a six seater with Wendy, Xavier, Asuka, Carla and Happy taking up the left side as Wendy and Romeo took the other. The two older Fairy Tail mages were asleep, with Wendy's head resting on the boy's shoulder as he slung an arm around her waist. It was adorable, and Melody couldn't help smiling at the sight. She glanced down at the blue exceed, curled up and purring, on her lap as she gently stroked his head. Xavier slumped against her left arm, and resting on Xavier's shoulder, was Asuka's head. Curled up and sleeping, Carla lay on Asuka's lap. Melody smiled, taking in all the sleeping faces. As Melody's gaze wandered over towards Wendy, the brunette started to make a mental to-do list. The first was to thank Wendy again for letting her stay in her room in Fairy Hills overnight, while Xavier rested at Porlyusica's. Another thing was to thank Alzack and Bisca for letting Asuka join them, but if she never managed to see them, she would ask Wendy to pass on the message. The brunette smiled, taking in all the sleeping faces as her gaze travelled around the carriage, hearing the soft snoring and seeing the slow rise and fall of everyone's chest.

Happy stirred in her lap, lifting his head and yawning loudly. He pushed himself up, leaning against the brunette's stomach as he rubbed the sleep out of his tired eyes.

"Where are we, Melody?" The little exceed yawned, leaning his head back and staring up at the smiling face of Melody.

Ruffling the cat's fur she answered, "We're almost near Hargeon, Happy. A little way to go."

"Oh." Happy responded, lifting up his arms and hugging Melody's stomach. This caused the girl to chuckle, as she stared at the little exceed.

"Excuse me for asking this," Melody paused, shifting slightly so Xavier was more comfortable, "but why are you here exactly? Wendy told me you had a partner. Natsu, right?"

"Mm!" Happy hummed, "I came because Carla asked me! And then, once this mission is over, maybe she'll accept my fish! She's only ever done that once, y'know." Happy let go of Melody's stomach and plonked himself down on Melody's lap once again. "Yup. Natsu's his name. He's more than a partner! He's like my father, partner and best friend! I think he would love to meet you."

"I'd love to meet him too." Melody responded happily, thinking of the man who had raised such a sweet little exceed. "Now Happy," Melody began, "I've got a job for you."

Happy's head perked up, taking a serious expression he asked, "What is it?"

Melody smiled, stroking the top of his side. Happy was just too adorable. "Can you wake up Wendy and Romeo for me?"

Happy nodded, hopping down from the brunette's lap and onto the floor. He walked over towards Romeo, firmly shaking his leg. Melody gently took hold of her brother, shaking him slightly.

"Xavier. Wake up."

"Romeo! Up!"

"Asuka, dear. It's time to get up."

"Wendy! Up, up, up!"

"Carla? It's time to get up."

* * *

"Asuka! Come look at this."

"Hey! Wait up, Xavier. You too, Happy!"

Melody chuckled, watching the two children run after each other accompanied by Happy. She herself was walking leisurely with Wendy and Romeo, with Carla walking at their feet. Strong sunshine beamed down, roasting the little dusty road as they walked in the direction of Melody's home town. "I don't mean to pry, but where exactly is your town, Melody?" The white exceed asked, carefully stepping around a crack on the road.

"My town is called Shizuma. It's a town near the guild, Lamia Scale." Melody answered, shifting her bag slightly. Draped over one arm was Asuka's bag but Melody didn't mind carrying it. Afterall, she was content watching the two young ones laugh and smile as they walked.

"Shizuma?" The dark purple haired teen questioned, "I've never heard of it before."

"It's a quiet, sleepy little village. It's quite peaceful too." Melody answered, a spring in her step as she walked down the road. Her long bangs swished with every movement and she couldn't stop smiling at the great weather they were fortunate to have.

"Are you a mage, Melody? And what about your brother?" Wendy asked out of the blue, hurrying to stay in pace with the brunette and surprising the eldest teenager by the change of topic.

Melody slowed down a little, but still continued walking. After a second of hesitation, Melody curtly nodded. Wendy raised an eyebrow but asked no more regarding her magical abilities for the time being. Instead the trio, and Carla, walked in comfortable silence for awhile.

Until that silence was broken by Romeo. "So, what are we dealing with at Shizuma?"

"A handful of mages. They're… not the strongest. But that one… the one who hurt Xavier, is relatively strong." Tightly clenching her fist, her bangs shadowed her eyes as she stared at her feet. "If… you don't mind…" Her words trailed off as Romeo understood what she was trying to say.

"I understand. You'll have him all to yourself."

Melody's head perked up, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. But as quickly as that smile came, it vanished leaving a thin line.

"Hey… Melody?" Wendy placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, surprising her with the contact. Melody hummed as an answer, her gaze focusing on the children and exceed before them.

"What type of magic do you do? I don't mean to pry, but I'm very curious. You see, I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer and Romeo here is a Fire mage."

Melody opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Xavier yelling, "Nee-chan! Look, it's a carriage!" as he ran back towards the group, firmly tugging on Melody's free arm. She smiled down at him, ruffling his hair as he pouted up towards her, clearly not amused on how she was babying him.

"Thanks, Xavier. Let's see if the driver will take us home."

The driver of the carriage, pulled by one muscular black steed, was a kind looking elderly lady with grey wispy hair. She greeted the group with a little wave and massive smile, her hair fluttering around in the wind. The group was fortunate to meet this kind old woman, who had offered to drive all the way to the town that was near their destination.

It would have been a two day walk to Rosemere, the town that which Lamia Scale was built in, but the group didn't question her generosity. It was an open wooden carriage, so the group clambered into the box, along with the many sacks that sat there.

Around two hours later, the elderly lady crowed, "We're here!" She pulled on the reigns, motioning the horse to stop. The woman leaned out of her seat, gently stroking her horse with loving eyes.

"But… It's only been about two hours, miss." Melody stated, slowly stroking Happy as he sat in her lap.

"Ah, you see…" The lady laughed, her dark gray eyes twinkling in the strong sunlight. "I specialise in transportation magic. I wanted to take my time, but I sensed you were all in a hurry. So I made a two day walk into a two hour drive." The mages hopped to their feet, clambering down from the carriage. They made their way around to the front, where they all thanked the driver individually.

"I'm very sorry for using your magic," Melody began, but was dismissed by a slow wave of the lady's hand. Melody only bowed, as the transportation mage picked up the reigns to her horse. She nodded, and in an instant, she was gone.

A sign that was jutting out at an awkward angle, read: Rosemere City, home of Lamia Scale. Melody sighed, walking up to the sign and gently placing a hand atop of the worn board. So many memories, with this sign nearly in all of them. Uneasiness and uncertainty settled in Melody's stomach as soon as she made contact with the board. This was strange… She never felt anything like this when she had touched this sign before. She always felt happy when she came to Rosemere, accompanied by her brother and Grandparents. Thinking of her Grandparents caused more uneasiness to bubble in Melody's stomach and she could only pray that they were alright.

Xavier stood beside his sister, staring up at her, noticing a few strange emotions swimming in her usually warm and bright eyes. Glancing up at his sister, and then to Wendy and Romeo, he quietly stated, "Shizuma's close."

"What way?" Happy asked, perched atop of Melody's head. For some strange reason, every time the group stopped, Happy would always sit himself on Melody's head. She didn't mind really as the blue exceed was just too adorable to refuse.

"Follow me, everyone!" Xavier beamed, running to his right. He flung his arms behind him, grinning as Asuka chased after him. Wendy smiled at the sight, then at Romeo, then at Carla and finally at Melody.

They began walking in silence, the only noise being the cries of both Xavier and Asuka as they ran down the path, laughing as they went. The sky slowly filled with dark grey clouds, dampening Melody's spirits as she gazed up at the wide sky above them. Melody hoped it wouldn't rain. She didn't want any of her friends to catch a cold.

At the end of the road, a young woman with a basket tucked underneath her arm was walking in the direction of the oncoming group. With her eyes fixated at her feet, her lilac hair covering her eyes, she didn't seem to notice the small group. Her ankle length skirt billowed in the wind that was beginning to pick up. She raised her head once she heard children's laughter, shock registering on her face once she recognised just who was laughing.

"Xavier!" the woman cried, dropping her basket and running towards the still standing boy. His dark green eyes widened as the woman tightly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her chest. Asuka stopped in her tracks, as Melody ran up beside her.

"Xavier… Melody…" Lifting her head and staring at the shocked face of Melody, she smiled sadly. "It's… good to see you again." Melody walked towards the woman, wrapping her arms around her. Melody pulled back, smiling at the lilac haired woman.

"How's… Grandpa and Grandma?" Melody slowly asked, placing a hand on the woman's forearm. Melody felt the woman tense up as she quietly replied, "I… must tell you later. It's not safe here."

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked, startling the three as they had forgotten they had an audience. Instead of replying, the woman grabbed Melody and Xavier's hand, dragging them along behind her.

"Follow me. I'll take you to my home."

The woman abruptly turned into the trees that dotted the path beside them. Evading the branches that tried to attack their faces, the woman who led the group kept up a hurried pace, as she weaved through the cluster of trees.

It wasn't long before a house came into a view. It was a little cabin of sorts, and in the kitchen window, was a worried face peeping out. The house had a little wooden fence running around it, with a little gate directly in front of them. The gate opened, allowing entrance to the group as they stood in the grassy garden.

"Rose! What are you…" The man, whose face was previously peering out of the kitchen window, appeared at the back door, holding it open with one hand while the other held a three year old's hand, his words trailing off as he noticed Melody and Xavier, and their company.

"Melody!" The little girl cried, waddling in a hurried fashion over towards the tall girl. Melody scooped the little girl up, causing her to giggle as she played with Melody's bangs. The brunette ruffled the girl's purple hair as she gently placed her down, a small smile donning her lips.

"Ann, come back here." The man gently said, holding a hand out to his daughter. Instead of taking her father's hand, she wrapped her arms around the man's leg and hid behind it, shyly peeking out.

"Let's take this inside." Rose shooed her husband and daughter inside, holding the door open for the Fairy Tail mages. Once they were all safely inside, she asked Ann to go play in her room. Ann took hold of Xavier's and Asuka's hands, dragging them behind her as she raced towards her room.

Once Rose heard the faint click of a door being closed, she offered the mages a seat. She stood at the end of the table, gripping the edges as she ran her eyes over the teens and exceeds with her husband standing behind her, placing large hands on her small shoulders. The man had a thick scar running over his nose and curling towards the edge of his mouth. His eyes were a steely gray colour, and his hair was black as the night, styled in an upwards fashion. He looked cold and emotionless, the exact opposite of his colourful wife. He nodded at Melody, then gazed at the back of his wife, worry evident in his steely eyes.

"Melody…" the lilac-haired woman began, unsure on how to continue. Her husband reassuringly squeezed her shoulder, which brought her to continue. "Those rogue mages who attacked our town around six days ago… They're still here."

Melody tightened her grip on Happy who was currently sitting on her lap. Melody sat in front of the Sky and Fire mage, her head dipped forward, shadowing her eyes. "Is… Grandma and Grandpa…" The brunette's words trailed off, as distressing images filled her mind. Taking a few breaths, she continued, "Please tell me, they're okay. Please, Rose." Melody raised her head, unshed tears brimming her eyes. She bit her lip, gazing hopefully at the woman before her.

"Melody…" Rose shakily breathed, "They were just too old. I'm sorry…" Rose stepped over to the trembling girl, firmly wrapping her arms around the distraught being. "I know you didn't want to hear this… But they passed earlier today…" A part of Rose broke inside, seeing the trembling girl in front of her. She had known this girl ever since she was little, and it pained her deeply telling her this awful news. But there wasn't anything anyone could do about it… Life was cruel like that…

The brunette trembled, silent tears sliding down her face and onto the blue exceed's head. Romeo and Wendy, along with Carla and Happy, hung their heads low, as Melody silently sobbed. Melody bit her lip, drawing blood but she didn't care. She didn't feel it. She was too numb. She had just lost her loving Grandparents, who had raised her since her mother passed away.

Melody took a shaky breath, wiping one eye with the back of her hand. She dipped her head forward, once again shadowing her eyes. She had stopped crying, but a few tears slipped down her face. "I'll tell Xavier… later." Melody stood from her seat, gently placing Happy on the table. She placed a hand on the back of the chair, gripping it tightly, causing her knuckles to turn white. "Are they… buried?" Rose nodded, and Melody asked another question. "Where are they? The remaining mages, that is."

Rose slung a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "No… Don't do what I think you'll do. Please… What will happen to Xavier if something goes wrong?"

"If something does go wrong, which I doubt it will, I want you to look after him, Rose." Melody shakily made her way over towards the back door. Placing a hand against the knob, she asked, "Where are they?"

"They're… at your house." The man quietly answered her, "They've taken it as their base, for the time being."

"William…" Rose snipped, "Why…" What she was going to say next, was cut off by a pair of strong arms that wrapped around her small body. Rose nestled her head onto his chest, sniffling as he gently stroked the back of her head, whispering that it would be alright.

"Melody, let us come with you." Wendy called out, standing up from her chair. She took a step forward but stopped when Romeo caught her wrist. Confused, she knitted her brows together as she stared at the teen. He slowly shook his head, telling her that this was not their battle to fight.

"Promise us this. You'll make it back here safe, and then you're joining Fairy Tail." Romeo pulled on the Sky mage's wrist, forcing her to take a seat as she gazed at the girl at the door.

A small smile flickered on Melody's face, before she left without speaking another word, the door firmly slamming shut behind her. Flinching at the noise, Happy turned towards the couple. "Is Melody going to be okay?"

Removing his arms, William allowed his wife to take a seat. She sat before the exceed, firmly staring at him. "She will be fine…" Rose began, swiping a few strands of hair behind her ear. She nervously bit her lip because she didn't know how to word Melody's problem. All who lived in this town knew of it, and they barely spoke about it. "Melody… she's a strong girl. Physically, and mentally. But, she has this type of double personality. She has the normal side which you see every day. Then," the woman paused, remembering the time that her other personality had first made its known appearance. It was around the time when Melody was five, and she was living with her mother and grandparents. Rose and Melody had bared witness to the death of Melody's mother. It was horrible… They were having a day out at the beach, and were walking near a few caves. Trembling, Rose remembered the beast which had lived in one of the caves… as he beat Melody's mother so fiercely, as she tried to protect her daughter. That is when her other personality came out. "then… She has this other side… I can't really explain it. But, there may be a day when you come to see it… For your sakes, I hope you don't. This side of her, managed to knock out a beast bigger than herself, without even using her magic. Mind you… She was only five at the time…"

* * *

Melody briskly walked out of Rose's house, glancing over her shoulder every so often to stare at Ann's window. Strong feelings of anger and sorrow filled her entire being, as she glared at her old house which was at the end of the road. Two rogue mages jumped up from the footpath they had sat at, sneering as they towered over the girl. Leering at the girl, the shorter one cat-called at her.

Melody walked up towards them, unfazed as they began to chant their abilities. With most of her hair shadowing her face, the two mages couldn't see the crooked grin she had plastered on her tear-streaked face. She threw back her hand, clenching it as tightly as she could, and punched the man closest to her, which happened to be a blue haired man who was the shorter between the two. She didn't know what surprised him more, her punch or the force of the punch, but she watched him with cold eyes as he stumbled backwards. She grabbed his shoulders, forcedly bending him forwards as she raised her knee, bringing it back slightly and with such force, kneed him the guts. The other mage charged at her, yelling as he raised his hands at her neck. She ducked, and swung her fist upwards, connecting with his chin. His head snapped backwards as he flew in the air, landing with a great thud a foot or so behind. Melody glanced at him, checking to sure if he was breathing. When she noticed his chest unevenly rise and fall, she switched her attention to the blue haired mage. She faced him, noticing the surprise that was registered on his face. He was afraid. Melody could tell by the way he stared at her, the way you would stare at someone who was a freak. The man tried to run, but Melody grabbed his arm. She raised an arm, clenching her fist and swinging it sharply. It connected to the side of his face, causing his head to swivel in the direction of her punch. His head fell backwards as Melody let go of his arm, letting him drop to the ground.

She walked up the man, placing a foot atop his chest. She pushed down hard, enjoying the sound of the raspy breaths he struggled to take. A part deep down inside of this Melody, cried at her, telling her not to hurt the man anymore. Unconscious and that was it.

"Two down," Melody muttered, "and a heck of a lot to go."

Around half an hour later, Melody was in her old living room, staring at the three men that had hurt her brother and indirectly caused the death of her grandparents. Two were cowering in fear, her dark presence slowly filling the room. The leader, or who Melody assumed to be the leader, stood in the middle of the room, a sly grin on his face as he stared at the rage fuelled girl.

"So, little girl." The black haired leader drawled, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What brings you here for round two?"

"Boss…" Tweedle Dee pouted, "You really shouldn't be saying that…"

"Yeah!" Tweedle Dumb agreed, "She took out most of our men with her bare fists."

Tweedle Dee nodded. "And without using magic."

"Don't you tell me what I should and shouldn't do!" The black haired man snapped, pointing a finger at the two trembling men. "Besides, those four were weak. Now, sick her!" He commanded, his sharp voice travelling across the room.

Tweedle Dee and Dumb charged at her, as she stood her ground. She lifted her head, revealing the wicked grin she had plastered on her face as she menacingly glared at the two charging idiots. Making quick work of them, they dropped to the ground, as she glared at the black haired man.

She walked over, her eyes never wandering from the man's face. He quickly brought his hands up, already in a defensive position. Melody stepped back, observing the man through her veil of hair. The man cackled, already beginning to chant a few words. But his words were quickly cut off, as Melody pulled back her fist, her index and middle finger pointing in a straight line as she struck the man's throat, right where his collar bones met.

That blow could kill a man, and with the strength of Melody, it sure would have killed him. But it never came. Instead the man opened one eye, shaking slightly as he stared at the fingers barely touching his neck. His gaze travelled up her muscular arm, landing on her impassive face. Instead of striking him in his throat, Melody grabbed his collar and hoisted him up an inch from the ground, with the tips of his shoes barely grazing the wooden floor.

"You could have killed me. Why the change of heart, sweet cheeks?"

"I could have killed you, but I choose not to." Melody growled, raising him higher so his feet lifted from the ground. The man widened his eyes in surprise as she was stronger than she looked. "Now… You're going to gather up all your men, and leave this town. Is that clear?" She asked, punctuating her words with a slight shake.

She placed the man down, swiftly turning on her heel and started walking from the living room. The man crept behind her, a sneer on his face as he stretched out his hands, reaching for her neck. Melody swivelled round, raising her leg and lifting it behind her. With a quick kick, she left the man on the floor, crouched over and practically sobbing.

"You are going to leave this town, and never come back." Melody growled, reaching down and threading her fingers through the man's dark hair. She pulled his head so they were eye level. Seeing the pain on the man's face, a part buried deep inside of her cried out. She didn't want to hurt people. However, the current outer Melody glared at the man, waiting for an answer. He couldn't speak, so he dumbly nodded, causing Melody to grin wolfishly at him.

"Good boy."

Turning on her heel, Melody's face softened at the bodies that were scattered in her living room. She had made sure that she didn't kill them. Melody couldn't stand it if someone died by her hands. She limped out through the door, holding one arm by the elbow. Her arms and everything visible were covered in cuts and bruises. But they'd heal. Eventually.

Making her way outside, she noticed the sky had brightened up but there were a few lingering clouds. She limped over to Rose's house, leaning against the front door and sliding down until she sat on her bottom. She slowly knocked the door, hearing shuffles from inside.

The door burst open, and Melody was practically dragged inside. She was carried into the kitchen, most likely by William, and gently set down on a chair. Rose held the girl's face in her hands, worried eyes inspecting her from head to toe.

"I did it, Rose."

"Let me tend to your wounds, dear." Turning her back towards the battered brunette, she ordered William to get a basin of warm water, disinfectant, a few cloths and bandages. Once William came back with all what was necessary, the lilac-haired woman dipped a cloth into the water, letting it soak. She gently washed Melody's arms with a determined expression, before quickly wiping down the many cuts with disinfectant.

"I knocked them all out. I didn't kill any. I made sure I didn't."

Rose said nothing, only focused on helping the girl in front of her. Rose wrapped the clean bandage around the brunette's left arm, sighing as she did so. "They won't come back. They know now not to mess with the mages of Shizuma."

"That's my Melody." Rose responded, wiping the girl's face. She motioned for the girl to hoist up her shirt, and when that was done, she thoroughly cleansed her battered stomach, carefully yet firmly wrapping the thick bandages around her.

"Nee-chan!" Xavier cried, running into kitchen and sprinting into the open arms of his sister. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body, carefully trying to avoid the bandaged areas. He nuzzled his face into the girl's chest, as she comfortingly stroke his hair, murmuring into his ear. "Are you okay? Where's Grandma and Grandpa? Where are the bad guys? Don't leave me again! I was so worried." Xavier babbled, his grasp tightening on the girl's shirt as he buried his head deeper.

"Hey…" Melody smiled, "It's okay. Everything's fine now. I'm okay and the bad guys are gone. I won't ever leave you again, okay?" Standing up, Melody took hold of Xavier's hand. "Rose… Where…"

"Near the river." Rose answered quietly, already knowing what Melody was asking, and what she was planning to do.

Nodding slowly, Melody walked to the door with Xavier in tow. The boy was confused as to where his sister was leading him. The two walked through the door, silently leaving the garden. They began their walk to the river in silence, unsure of what to say. Xavier squeezed his sister's hand, letting her know that he was there.

"Xavier…"

Xavier hummed, staring at the dark clouded sky as the two walked through a little cluster of trees near Rose's home. Melody placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair gently. Xavier was too tired to swat the hand away so he let her continue. "You're a good boy, you know that? Grandma and Grandpa are really proud of you and they always will be."

The brunette swerved through the trees, ambling into a clearing. A few meters away, a small river crawled downwards, off into the vast ocean that was a good while away. Deciding to follow it upwards, Melody walked along the banks, coming closer to her Grandparents favourite spot. She tugged Xavier behind her, who wasn't really paying attention. A tree came into Melody's view, saddening her greatly as she spotted two slabs of stone cropping up from the ground.

Melody dropped to her knees, pulling Xavier towards her and wrapping her arms around his small frame The elder sibling's back was facing the tree and the gravestones, obstructing Xavier's view. "Nee-chan?" He questioned, getting no reply from Melody. "Nee-chan?" He asked urgently, pulling his head back and staring at the veil of brown hair that covered her face. He gently swiped the strands behind her ear, noticing the tears that were brimming in her honey-coloured eyes. "Nee-chan, what's wrong?" He asked urgently, taking hold of her shoulders. "I thought Rose made you feel better! You're still not hurt, are you?"

Melody took a deep breath, placing her hands on his shoulders and staring at him in the eye. "Xavier… There's something I must tell you."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but nodded slowly. "It's about Grandma and Grandpa." His eyes widened, but he still remained silent. Melody slowly continued, "Rose informed me that earlier today, Grandma and Grandpa… passed away…"

"No… You're lying, nee-chan." Xavier mumbled, his chin wobbling. "That can't be! Grandma and Grandpa can't die! They can't… It's…"

"Xavier…" Melody whispered, pulling him towards her chest. She cradled his head, stroking the back of his hair as he sobbed, letting out all his pent-up feelings. Tears slid down the girl's face, pooling atop of Xavier's head as she rested her chin against it, his scruffy green hair, the colour of a dark forest, tickling her chin. She breathed in his earthy scent, her chin wobbling as she remember this is how her Grandpa smelt.

"But… Grandma and Grandpa… Who's going to tell me off for fighting with you? Who's going to tell me off when I don't eat my vegetables? Who's going to tend to their vegetable garden? Who's going to play music with me…?" His grip tightened on Melody's shirt, sobbing noisily as he buried his face into his sister's shoulders. Melody blinked hard, trying to dispel the tears as she tightened her arms around her brother. She stroked the back of his head, as he cried.

"It's going to be alright. I'm here for you, and I will let nothing happen to you, ever again. Afterall, what are big sisters for?" Melody whispered, pulling her head back and staring at the snot filled face of her brother. "I'm here, and I will never, ever in a million years, leave you."

"Nee-chan…"

* * *

A/N: Why hello there.

I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of TLMoL! I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

I'm sorry that it took ages to update. I was quite lazy...

That's all I wanted to say. So, please read and review!

Goodbye, and until next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Acceptance into Fairy Tail

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

It had been a week since Melody and Xavier learnt of their Grandparent's passing. It had been hard on the two, but they took comfort in knowing that their Grandparents were always watching from above. Since then, Melody and Xavier found a two bedroom apartment, in the same block that a past Fairy Tail member had stayed in. Their new-found friend Levy had told her of this place, smiling sadly as she mentioned a girl named Lucy. From Melody's knowledge, Lucy had died three years ago on a mission with Happy's friend and partner, Natsu who she had still yet to meet. Seeing that it had just past Lucy's anniversary, the brunette was sure to go visit her grave sometime. It lay on a hill near Fairy Tail, where Magnolia Graveyard was located, and the view from the hill was amazing. Standing on top of it, one could see the whole of the magnificent town of Magnolia, with all its shops and houses.

Today was also the day that the two siblings were officially going to join Fairy Tail. Makarov had told them to wait awhile, seeing as they lost their family, and they agreed. They need to hide away for awhile, and come to terms with what happened. Shaking her brother gently as he lay sleeping in his bed, Melody gently told him to rise, as today was an important day.

"Five… more…minutes…" The lump from under the blue quilt mumbled, a splash of dark green appearing on the pillow. Rolling over onto his side, Xavier grumbled as he tightly shut his eyes, trying to drown out the gentle whispering of his sister.

"Xavier," His sister sighed, teasing back the quilt and only finding it once again snugly wrapped around his small body, "today's an important day. We're going to join Fairy Tail."

"Five more minutes, nee-chan…"

Melody sighed, straightening up and running a hand through her brown bangs, gazing down at her brother. "Breakfast is ready and on the kitchen table." Xavier shot up from bed, throwing his quilt onto the floor as he sprinted out from his room, into the hall and into the kitchen, plopping down on one of the three seats that occupied the space before the table. Melody slowly followed after, chuckling as she witnessed her brother devour the food that she had cooked for him. Taking a plate of pancakes, she plopped down beside her brother and wiped his chin with her thumb, chuckling at his pout.

In just a few minutes, Xavier was full. He pushed back his now empty plate streaked with syrup, with his stomach noticeably larger. A contented sigh escaped his lips as Melody quietly ate her own food, soon finishing. She collected his and her plate, placing them into the sink and began washing the dishes as Xavier slowly followed.

"Go get washed and dressed, Xavier. I'll do these dishes, clean up a bit and then we'll go."

" 'Kay, nee-chan!" The boy beamed, spinning on his heel and making a dash for the bathroom. Once inside, he shut the door and ran the tap, with the sound of running water filling the homely apartment. The brunette placed the dripping places beside sink, letting them dry as she made her way to her room.

Pulling a brush through her tatty hair, she decided to tie it back in a ponytail, seeing as that was the best course of action. She wore a green shirt and a pair of black jeans, what Melody would normally wear. The sound of a door bursting open alerted Melody that Xavier was finished cleaning up in the bathroom, much to Melody's joy.

About five minutes later, Melody locked the door to her apartment and pocketed the small key, smiling as she patted the small lump in her jeans. Xavier took off down the street, standing on the wall that towered over the small river. A little boat with two occupants called out to the girl and her brother, telling them to mind their steps. Melody responded with a smile and wave as she laughed, walking beside her brother as he clutched onto her hand, making sure not to fall in.

It was around noon by the time the two siblings entered the Fairy Tail. It was rowdy as it usually was, but surprisingly there wasn't a fight brawling in the middle of the room. All tables were upturned up and all chairs were sitting upright, much to the sibling's surprise.

The taller sibling held open the door, as Xavier squeezed his way through, thoroughly scanning the Guild as he searched for his friend, who he had seen in the corner of the room with her parents, Alzack and Bisca. He waved a little goodbye at his sister, who only smiled back as he ran over to his friend. Swiping her loose bangs behind her ears, she made her way to the bar, where Makaraov sat gazing over his children.

"Hello, Melody! What brings you here?" Mira asked, waving at the girl who waved in response. Melody took a seat in front of the white-haired mage, tapping one hand slowly on the wooden tabletop.

"Em…" The brunette began, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Xavier and I were hoping to join today… if that's alright with you, Makarov-san…"

Makarov lifted his head, a merry grin cracking on his face. "We're very happy to have you and Xavier."

Mira disappeared for a few seconds, quickly resurfacing from under the table with what appeared to be stamps in her hands. She neatly set them out on the table in order of size, the smallest stamps being at the white-haired mage's right to the largest being at her left.

"Now, Melody-chan… Do you know where you want your stamp? And what colour do you want it?"

The brunette thoughtfully tapped her chin, mulling over the options she had. Finally, she decided on a purple medium-sized Guild stamp, located on the back of her neck. The bartender grinned at the girl, and the Master nodded as Melody called over her brother, who quickly followed with Asuka in tow.

"Look, Xavier." Melody said, swishing her ponytail out of the way as she showed her brother her Guild stamp. "Isn't it nice?"

"Nee-chan, that's amazing! Will I get one?" The boy replied, his dark eyes wide and sparkling. He gently reached out and traced the guild stamp with his finger, earning laughs from the adults around.

"Yes, you will. Do you know where you want it?"

Xavier was quiet as he, much like his sister, tapped his chin, deep in thought. After a few moments, he said, "I want to get it where Grandpa had his. You got yours where Grandma had hers, didn't you? Purple was her favourite colour too…" The boy's words trailed off as his sister hoisted him up and placed him on the bar table, his back facing Mira.

Xavier took off his shirt, informing Mira that he wanted a medium sized stamp, black in colour and located in the middle of his shoulder blades, on his spine. After the stamp was successfully transferred onto his back, he threw his white shirt over himself and hopped down from the table, running away with Asuka as the two laughed about who knows what.

"Welcome to the guild, Melody-chan."

"Mel-chan!" A blob of blue ran towards the three, grasping onto Melody's arm. The brunette greeted her friend, as Levy excitedly began talking to her. "Welcome to the guild, Mel-chan! C'mon, you have to meet everyone!" The bluenette cried, tightening her grasp around the girl's arm, dragging over towards her group of friends that sat in the middle of the hall.

"Guys, meet Melody! Melody meet Gajeel," A tall, muscular man nodded at her. He had black, spiky hair with his bangs tied back with an orange bandana. He had no eyebrows, but three bolts above each eye, he also had three on both side of his nose and two below his mouth. His sharp red eyes glared at the girl, normally making anyone cower in fear, but Melody only smiled back, much to everyone's surprise.

"Erza," A beautiful red haired lady also nodded at her. Her long hair was braided, reaching the middle of her back. She wore armour, which Melody thought was quite strange, but said nothing of it as she smiled back.

"Gray," A tall man with black-ish blue messy hair waved at her with one had as the other was wrapped around the shoulders of a blushing bluenette. He had a scar over his left eye, near his eyebrow and he was half-naked, much to Melody's embarrassment. She evaded her eyes, a light pink dusting her cheeks, which thankfully no-one noticed.

"Juvia," The blushing bluenette smiled at the girl, her long blue hair, much like waves, tumbling to the small of her back. She had on a brown skirt, with a white shirt and was beaming at Melody. The brunette had a feeling that she would get on well with this girl, and all who Levy was presenting her to.

"Happy," The little blue exceed cried when he saw Melody, spurting wings and flying up to her head. He sat perched on her head, earning chuckles from the group. Melody reached up and stroked his head, earning a small purr from the little cat.

"And Natsu." Levy motioned to a salmon-haired man, with a white muffler draped across his shoulders. His dark, onyx eyes inspected the girl before breaking out into a massive, toothy grin. Melody couldn't help splitting into a smile of her own, as she greeted everyone.

"I hope that we can get along in the future, everyone." The brunette bowed, an arm slinging around her shoulder as she gasped slightly. Levy smiled at the girl, telling her not to be so formal. After all, they were nakama. They were family. Family… Fairy Tail is Melody and Xavier's new family, and they would do everything in their power to protect it.

"Nee-chan!" A flash of green darted towards the tall girl, with a blob of black running behind. Xavier, who had gripped onto his sister's arm, stopped when he noticed that his sister was being introduced to a group. "This kind man named Reedus wants to draw us. I seen his art! It's amazing…"

Ruffling her brother's locks, he blinked slowly as he addressed the older group. "Hello. I'm Xavier, Melody's brother. Nice to meet you all."

"Aw! He's so cute, Mel-chan!" Levy cooed, waving at the younger boy. "Nice to meet you, Xavier. I'm Levy. And this is Natsu, Happy, Juvia, Gajeel, Erza and Gray." She said, motioning to each in turn who all greeted the boy.

"Gihee, look at the little squirt."

"I'm not a 'little squirt'! Just because you're bigger than me, doesn't mean you can call me names."

"You tell him, Xavier." The blunette rooted for the younger boy, clenching her fist and shaking it slightly.

"Besides, nee-chan could beat you in a fight!" Everyone lifted an eyebrow at the boy's words, except Melody who was flushing like crazy and hiding behind her hands. She repeatedly shook her head, denying her brothers words.

"Could she now? Could she beat a Dragon Slayer?" Gajeel smirked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring down at the boy. Xavier puffed out his chest, lifting his chin and placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes, she and I both could."

"Hah, sorry about that everyone…" Placing a hand on her brother's shoulder, she chuckled nervously. "He tends to say exaggerated things about me sometimes…"

"That's not true, nee-chan. You beat up six, or was it eight… bad guys all on your own! Without magic as well."

"Oh, that's right. I heard from Wendy once you guys got back. With your bare fists you knocked them all out. You even have that small scar to prove it." Levy stated, pointing to a small x-shaped scar on the right side of Melody's neck. Feeling aware of everyone's ogling, she slapped a hand across her small scar.

Natsu, bearing a toothy grin and wide eyes, exclaimed, "Fight me, Melody! You and your brother can fight me and Gajeel!"

Flushing and with her arms flailing about her, she cried, "I don't think we could… Us against Two Dragon Slayers? And… what if Xavier gets hurt?"

"I'll be fine, nee-chan. Besides, we can take them on!"

With reassuring words spoken from her new-found friends, Melody slowly agreed to the battle. Her and her brother, versus Natsu and Gajeel, the two Dragon Slayers. It would be happening shortly, and Melody was nervous. She prayed to her Grandparents to watch over Xavier and herself, and prayed to them to keep him safe. It would be very unlikely that the two Dragon Slayers would seriously try to harm the siblings, but to be sure, Melody knew she had to call in her big guns.

As everyone disappeared from the hall, and headed towards the back of the Guild, Melody couldn't help feeling nervous. Everyone was going to watch her and her brother fight… Against two Dragon Slayers. A few Guild mates, along with Mira and her siblings and Happy were crowding around a board. It appeared to be a tally of some sorts, labelling the two sibling's names and the two men. There were a few marks underneath the two new member's names, but underneath the two Dragon Slayers, the space was practically full.

Frowning, a wave of determination swept through the elder sibling's body. She would prove these people wrong, with the help of her brother. The two siblings would win.

She just knew.

* * *

A/N: Hello, and welcome to the end of the third chapter!

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

That's all I wanted to say, so thank you for reading this chapter. It really means alot to me, so thank you.

That's all, so goodbye. And until next time.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - "Fly dragons, fly away."

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"You ready, Xavier?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"You know the plan, don't you?"

"Yup."

To the two Dragon Slayers, and to the whole of Fairy Tail, what appeared to be music notes flew outwards from Xavier's open hands, circling him and his sister, creating a small, opaque dome around the two siblings. The music notes continued to swirl, not allowing anyone to see within its confinements.

"What the hell is that?"

"How should I know, tin can? Music?" The dome disappeared, revealing that Melody and Xavier had vanished, confusing the two Dragon Slayers greatly. For they had been right there, so where did they disappear too?

"Boo…" Two breathy voices whispered, but when the two Dragon Slayers swiveled round, nothing was there.

"Over here, boys!" Melody cried from the other side of the battle field, where the music dome had disappeared moments before. What was strange was the fact that another person stood beside Melody. He was tall, fully clad in black with the exception being the right side of his face clear as his long, scruffy black hair covered half of his face. Shadows curled at his feet, licking the man's shins but never wandering upwards. The two Dragon Slayers stared wide eyed at the man, for they had never seen him before.

Loke, who had appeared moments before the battle and was swept away in the crowd, stood by Mira as he observed the battle between his friends and the two newly accepted Guild members. Laying his eyes on the shadow man, the Lion spirit stifled a gasp.

"Everything okay, Loke?" Mira asked, placing a hand on the man's arm. Loke continued to stare, not in fear but in shock, at the man standing beside Melody.

"That's… Icarus. Descendant of the _very _powerful Celestial Spirit, Hades."

* * *

"Icarus, I need you to watch over Xavier."

"But, Melody…" He began, his low voice quiet and smooth. He was interrupted by Melody who just shook her head.

"I'll be fine. They're coming out too."

"I see." And with that, the black clothed man sunk to the ground, the shadows enveloping his body. The mass of shadows slithered behind Xavier, and up from the ground popped Icarus, keeping a firm gaze on the boy in front of him.

"Nee-chan, you worry too much. I can protect myself, y'know." Xavier pouted, crossing his arms against his chest as he blinked up towards his sister.

"I know, I know." Melody began, ruffling her brother's hair. "It's just a precaution, okay?" She glanced up, locking gazes with Icarus' bottomless pits for eyes, who nodded in response to her silent plea. Turning on her heel, she dug into her pocket and retrieved two keys - a bright yellow key, with a lighting bolt pattern running down its body, and a turquoise key with a wave type pattern running down its side. Although the two keys were different in colour, the respective filled bow was in bronze in colour with each key's elemental symbol brightly displayed within the shape.

"Open, Gate of the Demi-Gods, Sirius and Jace!" Melody cried, the two keys placed firmly in both hands. A flash of light enveloped the girl, with thunder crackling above her and the faint sound of the sea swishing below her. The light disappeared and two new men appeared beside her, one with blue hair slinging an arm around her shoulder.

The taller of the two was a muscular boy appearing to be in his late teens, with blonde spiky hair styled in an upwards fashion. He had two, thin lighting bolt-shaped scars over his dark eyes and was simply dressed in loose-fitting white trousers. He wore no footwear and curtly nodded at Melody, before focusing his attention on the two Dragon Slayers who stood a good fifteen meters away or so, gaping at Melody and her 'friends'.

The smaller, was fairly tall but was lean in physique compared to the blonde haired boy. He had one arm draped around Melody's shoulders, his heavy gaze focusing on the Dragon Slayers. His deep, dark blue hair much like the sea, tumbled in waves to his shoulders. Although this was quite strange, his hair appeared to move, like water from a waterfall as it cascaded over the rocks. He wore loosely fitted green trousers and wore no footwear.

"You called, Melody?" The two boys said together, glancing at each other and then at the girl.

"Yo, Pinkie! Iron face!" The blue-haired boy called, earning the Dragon Slayers' attention. "Nice to meet ya. I'm Jace. Blondie here is Sirius and Shadow boy is Icarus."

"It's salmon, not pink!" Natsu yelled, igniting his fist and charging at the two. Flames burst out from his feet, propelling himself quicker to the smirking face of Jace. Melody jumped in front of her blue haired friend, catching Natsu's ignited fist in both hands as she blankly stared at the Dragon Slayer in front of her. The flames on Natsu's fist quickly died out, smoke rising from Melody's hand as she dropped his fist and shook hers slightly.

"Heh, that tickles." Melody smiled, before turning serious and staring at the salmon haired man. "I can't let you harm my friends."

"What's a girl like you gonna do about it?" Natsu frowned slightly, trying to provoke her further into fighting with him and Gajeel.

"You should not of done that, Dragon Slayer." Sirius comment, who had folded his arms across his muscular chest, regarding him with cold eyes. Silly human, insulting his friend like that. She would get him, for sure.

"Why's that? What are you going to do about it?" Gajeel smirked, appearing beside Natsu and staring at the Demi-Gods with a steely gaze. It was silent for a brief few seconds, with the two Dragon Slayers oblivious to the fact that Melody was trembling. "Nothing. That's right. Because you two are a weak bunch of shi-"

What he was going to say, quickly diminished as he was shoved back a few feet, heavily falling to the ground. With disbelief in his eyes, he stared wide mouthed at the girl before him, who was slowly letting her hand fall to her hip.

"Never, and I mean never Gajeel," Melody hissed, "call my spirits weak. For God help me, I will-" Natsu quickly threw a lit punch at the girl, believing that she was lost in her little speech that she wouldn't be able to intercept it. She caught his aflame fist, painfully squeezing her slender fingers around his ablaze hand. The sickening smell of burning flesh lingered in the air, but all disregarded that, except for Jace of course.

The blue haired teen quickly created a small water droplet from the tip of his fingers, letting it fall on Natsu's flamed fist, the droplet then expanding upon contact with Natsu's flame. Much to Natsu's and Gajeel's surprise, his fist extinguished leaving Natsu gaping at his unlit hand.

"H-how?"

"Duh, demi-god celestial spirits here. Our elemental magic is powerful, idiot. Y'know, being taught by actual Greek Gods and all that." Jace rolled his eyes, quickly retracting his hand and walked over to Melody. Another small water orb appeared above Melody's burnt hand, before quickly encasing it and acting like a water glove. The corner of Melody's mouth quickly tugged up into a smile as she thanked her spirit, who brushed it off with a little roll of his eyes. The water enveloping her hand evaporated, leaving her flesh fully intact and with no burns.

"Let us do the honours, Melody. Let us start the battle." Sirius walked forward, placing a large hand on Melody's arm. The girl stiffened slightly, letting his words process. After a brief second of hesitation, she nodded and all hell broke lose.

With lightening crackling at his fingertips, Sirius directed his magic towards the Dragon Slayers, zapping their legs as they hopped from foot to foot, backing away from the tingly lightening. It wasn't particularly sore or painful, it was more or less irritating against their skin. It was clear that Sirius wasn't using his full ability, but giving them a warning as he pushed them away from his friend and cousin.

Jace however, was a whole different story. Gathering the water vapour from the air, he created a relatively massive wave and directed the splashing mass towards them. Sirius added his lightening to the water, and the mixture of the two streamed towards the Dragon Slayers, deftly washing them away and slightly electrocuting them, with Gajeel taking the brunt of the crackling electricity.

With the water pooling at their feet, they stood up, glaring at the Demi-Gods and the master of the keys. The girl stood before her spirits, her arms behind her as she extended a hand to each of them. Knowing what she was about to do, they both placed a hand on top of hers. Melody threw her head back, her brown eyes widening. After a few seconds, her head snapped forward and lightning spat out from her eyes. Her warm brown eyes had vanished, leaving two crackling lightening pits. Two water gloves enveloped her hands, offering her protection and strength. The girl glanced over her shoulder, nodding at her two spirits, silently thanking them for their strength. But they just brushed off her gratitude with a wave, and off she zoomed.

No, she literally zoomed. Much like Natsu and his fire jets, Melody used electricity to propel herself forwards. With her fists clenched, she managed to knock a punch on the two Dragon Slayers chests, causing them to take a step back. She encircled them, her eyes spitting lightning as she tried to find an open. Gajeel lunged at her, his metal arm extending and deftly striking her on her right shoulder. She cried out in pain, but continued to circle the two men, faster than before. Natsu was getting sick of this, as he watched her go round and round and round.

Suddenly, Melody stopped flittering around the two and stood before them. With a yell of one of his attacks, Natsu rose his arms and set them ablaze, yelling something along the lines of a wing attack. Melody didn't really hear, or in other words, she couldn't hear. The lightnin crackling near her ears, droned out her sense of hearing. She stood her ground as Natsu came closer, placing her hands on his shoulders at the last second and pushed herself up from the ground. She was upside down at this point, with her hands firmly placed on the salmon-haired man's shoulders. Natsu blinked stupidly up at her as she grinned down, before pushing down and jumping off, landing a kick to Gajeel's arm that was blocking his chest.

Gajeel grunted, extending his arm which managed to hit her in the stomach, propelling her backwards. Melody grabbed onto his metal pole for an arm, one water glove disappearing, it being immediately replaced with crackling electricity. She quickly slammed the crackling hand onto his arm, watching the electricity run down the pole and shock him. The Iron Dragon Slayer yelled, retracting his arm and letting Melody fall to the ground onto her back with a loud thud. The black haired man pounced, his left fist hardening into metal and drawing to punch her. Before Gajeel could lay a finger on her, shadows quickly enveloped her body, causing her to disappear into the ground. Gajeel punched the ground instead, causing small cracks to form as he glared over at Melody who now stood near her brother and three spirits.

The brown-haired girl stood with her back facing the two Dragon Slayers who just stood there, arms folded as they waited for the girl to make a move. The electricity from her eyes disappeared, leaving worried brown eyes in its place as she glanced around her little group. The two water gloves evaporated, but Melody didn't really seem to notice.

"They have heightened senses. They could probably hear what we're saying."

"Damn right we can!" Gajeel grunted, receiving an eye roll from Jace.

Icarus sighed, and a dome sculpted out from pure shadows settled around the group of five. "I believe they won't be able to hear what we will be discussing. Even if their hearing manages to pass my shadows, they will only hear a few words."

"That's my cousin for ya!" Jace grinned, lightly punching Icarus in the shoulder causing him to sigh once again. Melody stood quietly, thoughtfully tapping her chin as she glanced over her brother and spirits. Her brother seemed to be a little shaken but fortunately had no visible wounds, which was good. The brunette was sure to thank her spirits later and treat them to a nice home cooked meal, after all, that was their favourite treat. Xavier stood in silence, quietly observing his sister from the corner of his eye, watching her as she decided what the next part of their plan would be. Hopefully something that included himself.

Melody cracked into a grin, clapping her hands as she gathered her groups attention. "I got it!" She grinned, "But… Xavier…" She turned to her brother, her brows furrowing together as she faced her brother. "You're a big part in this new plan, but only if you want to go through with it."

"Of course, nee-chan!"

Melody ruffled his hair, offering a small smile. "Okay, so here it is…"

* * *

The dome of slithering shadows vanished, leaving the siblings and the spirits in its place. Xavier, who was behind Icarus, side-stepped around him, walking over to his sister and standing beside her, their arms barely touching. He nervously glanced up at his sister, who only smiled reassuringly in response.

Gulping, he assumed the role of a weak child as he raised his shaking hands with a look of fear evident in his dark green eyes. To everyone else, Xavier seemed to be a scared little boy, but to Melody and the three cousins he was not. Muttering under his breath he raised his hands, five little pairs of glowing blue orbs spitting out from his palms. On the ends of the little orbs were treble clefs, surprising everyone as they flittered about in the air. The entire Guild laughed, but Xavier remained stoic. With a serious expression on his face, the act of the weak child disappearing, he let the confident and calm exterior shine through. With a quick flick of his wrists the shining orbs flew to his, his sister's and the three spirits ears, encasing them in a small glove of shimmering blue. Xavier lowered his hands, standing tall near his sister as the next step was set into action. Wondering why the little boy had closed off his team's ears, they stared in confusion as he lifted his head, bringing it back and clenching his fists tightly.

It was horrible. A high-pitched, blood-curdling screech of an animal that sounded that it was in terrible, terrible pain escaped from the boy's mouth, travelling towards the two Dragon Slayers at an alarming rate. Everyone could actually see the mass of sound, travelling across the area between the two groups, creating fissures in the ground as it enveloped the two men.

The entire Guild covered their ears, sinking to their knees as they trembled at the noise, screeching into their ears. Freed quickly created a type of rune around himself and his fellow Guild, allowing them to watch the event unfurl and also hear what was happening, but much lower than it was actually being spoken.

It was an entire different story for Natsu and Gajeel, however. Both sunk low, yelling as they dug their face into the ground, the terrible screeching sensation ringing in their sensitive ears. It wasn't enough to deafen the Dragon Slayers, but their ears would be ringing for quite an awful length of time.

Melody flinched at the sight of her two guild mates, yelling and falling to the ground. She would have to apologise to them later, but for now, she was solely focused on beating them. Gajeel, even though she held no grudge towards the man, had disrespected herself and her mother, who had taught her everything she knew. He had also disrespected her friends by calling them weak, only in the hopes to start a fight with them, but that was a big no-no. Nobody got away with disrespecting her friends, without receiving a lesson from her.

Silently nodding towards the eldest of the three cousins, Icarus only responded with a brief nod to her silent plea of watching her brother. Even though she knew that Natsu and Gajeel would never try to harm a young boy, she had to be sure, she had to keep him safe. She didn't want anything to happen to him, especially since they lost their Grandparents. Quickly blinking, trying to dispel the burning tears that were trying to form, she glanced over her shoulder and into the smiling faces of Sirius and Jace. With a quick nod from them, her right rand was enveloped in a tight skin of shimmering water, while the other was encased in a loose skin of crackling lightening. Smiling her thanks, she whipped her heads towards the slowly rising Dragon Slayers. By now, Xavier had stopped his screech, but he was clearly exhausted. He had used up such a large amount of magic, so he had to rest now. He stumbled backwards, but Melody quickly stood behind him as he fell into her middle section, carefully avoiding touching him with her elemental powered hands.

"Did I do well…?"

"You did amazing, Xavier. I'm going to fight them now, so you take a rest. Don't be worried if anything happens away over there - I'll be fine. Sirius, Jace, Icarus and you are watching out for me."

"Okay… Be careful though." Xavier mumbled, glancing up at the beaming, yet battered face of his sister. He quietly took a few steps back, breathing deeply as he watched his sister run, her speed enhanced by Sirius' lightning.

Gajeel, who had anticipated her attack, extended his metal arm and aimed it right at the girl, grinning to himself as he knew that he would catch her off guard. As battered as she was, Melody had seen Gajeel's attack coming and so when the time was right, she grabbed onto his arm, and pushed herself up. She ran towards him, the lightning still enhancing her speed and gave him a kick in the chest, causing him to retract his arm and stumble backwards.

With a yell of words, a flaming fist was directed at Melody's face, but she quickly dodged the ignited limb by falling to the ground. For a split second, Natsu had thought he had gotten her to the ground, but before he let out a victorious grunt, something hard connected with his legs, so he fell ungracefully to the hard ground, with his breath knocked from his body.

Melody had extended a hand towards the fallen Dragon Slayer but before Natsu could swipe away her hand, a cloud of iron shards enveloped the girl. Gajeel grinned, watching the dust from the hard ground float around the girl, knowing that he had indeed harmed her. But as quickly as the iron cloud came, it disappeared, leaving Melody standing there. Her back faced towards the two, and it had clearly taken the worst of the damage. Her clean t-shirt that was previously intact was ripped to shreds, with blood staining the edges, and her arms were wrapped around her head. The middle of her t-shirt was ripped clean open, with only a few thin strings running across her scarred back. Natsu wearily eyed the three prominent scars on Melody's back, all the same shape, the largest running from her right shoulder to the left of her hip. Two other scars, smaller in size ran down the same way but on each side of the largest scar, in a controlled yet free way. Natsu gasped, eyeing the largest scar that was screaming at him. The shape… the way it ran across her back… It reminded him… It reminded him of…

Before the Dragon Slayers could think anything else about the girl's familiar shaped scars, Melody had quickly turned round, bending slightly towards the gaping men and hurriedly swung her fists upwards, each with the two elements dancing along her skin. Her fists connected with the two Dragon Slayer's jaws, and they stumbled backwards, their bottom teeth clinking against the top.

"Is that the best you can do?"

* * *

"Is that the best you can do?" Melody panted, her back firmly pressed against the ground. Her arms were splayed beside her, the two elements that were given to her by her friends, dancing atop of her hands.

"Shaddup. I don't see you getting up any time soon, Nutty Crust." Gajeel grunted. He himself was lying on his back, too tired to lift a finger and fight with the girl again.

"Nutty Crust? Can't you go with anything more original?" Melody teased, chuckling before her light chuckles turned into raspy coughs. She, the same as Gajeel and Natsu, was too tired to continue their fight, so they lay there, with their heads together, staring up at the sky and just talking.

Grumbling to himself, his words were muffled when Natsu decided to speak. "You're pretty strong, Melody."

"Pretty? Pfft. More like way stronger than you." Melody scoffed, a light pink dusting her cheeks.

"No way!" Natsu argued, trying to roll over onto his stomach and face the girl. But since he was exhausted, he gave up on rolling over and just lay on his back, staring at the sky and listening to Melody's voice.

"Yes way." Melody huffed.

"Nope. If you were stronger than us, you'd still be standing."

Melody bit her lip, furrowing her eyebrows together as she glared up at the sky. "Exuse me. There are two of you, and only one of me. I managed to get both of you down. Therefore, I am the strongest."

"Pfft, Nutty Crust. Pure luck." Gajeel added, quietly threading the grass between his fingers as he blinked up towards the sky, his scary like demeanour slowly slipping away.

"Pure luck, my foot." Melody responded causing the two males to roll their eyes. She couldn't see the roll of their eyes, so she continued. "But probably luck.. You should have seen the looks on your faces when Jace managed to pin you down. Priceless!"

Feigning hurt, Natsu said, "Gosh, Melody, you're so mean."

The brunette quietened, and the two men started to worry. Did they upset her? Was she mad? "Sorry. I'm not usually like this. I feel… alive, if you know what I mean. Must be the adrenaline rush…"

Natsu opened his mouth as he was going to agree to what the brunette had said. But before he could utter a word, a face appeared above him, the blue hair tumbling in waves to reach the person's chin.

"Jace!" Melody sighed, lifting an arm to lightly grasp her blue haired friend's arm. "Don't do anything more, please. Natsu and Gajeel are extremely tired." Slowly pushing herself up from the hard ground, her brown hair tumbling down her back as she faced her blue haired friend, tiredly staring up at him as he gently yanked her to her feet.

Jace, knowing how exhausted his friend was, didn't say anything but only beckoned Sirius over. When the tall blonde ambled over, he immediately scooped Melody into his muscular arms, the said girl pouting and protesting as her spirits only chuckled at her actions.

The blue haired spirit offered a hand each to the two Dragon Slayers, who were now sitting up and breathing raggedly. Gladly accepting Jace's presumably forced offering, they were lifted to their feet. No sooner than their feet were planked on the firm ground, Makarov came running over, his wooden staff swaying in the air behind him.

"Natsu, Gajeel!" The elderly Master beamed up at the two Dragon Slayers, before switching his attention to the girl lying in a tall man's arms. "Melody! Well done on your victory, child."

The brunette flushed at his compliment and started waving her hands about, unsure of how to respond. Finally she settled with, "Eh, Master. Thank you… But I couldn't do it without the help of Xavier and my spirits."

The old man nodded, turned on his heel and briskly walked back to the waiting crowd, surrounded in disappearing glitter twinkling in the air. The two Dragon Slayers assumed it to be Freed's rune disappearing, seeing as he would most likely try to protect the Guild from Xavier's sound attack. Speaking of the little squirt, he ran over, animatedly chatting with his sister as she ruffled his hair, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Oi, squirt." Xavier span round, narrowing his eyes at the scruffy looking Dragon Slayer. "Good fight." Gajeel gruffed out, folding his arms across his chest as he stared at the boy, who only smiled up at him in response. "Nutty Crust?"

Melody faced him, lifting a brow as she stared at the Iron Dragon Slayer. Xavier clenched his fist and glared up at the older male. How dare he call his sister that?

"Good fight, and rest we-"

"How dare you call my sister 'Nutty Crust'?" His voice was amplified, a reason being that he was a sound and music mage, and the other because he was irritated at elder male, his features dark with annoyance.

"Gajeel." Natsu whispered, prodding his friend in the ribs, causing Gajeel to grunt in reply as he glared at the salmon haired man beside him. "Xavier could probably deafen us."

"That's given me an idea." Xavier chuckled.

"C'mon, run!"

Melody chuckled into her battered hand, the dark blood crusting over the wound at the base of her fingers.

"Fly dragons, fly away."

* * *

A/N: Before I even begin my greetings, I am terribly sorry. I apologise for not updating in absolute ages. The reasons why, you can probably hazard a guess. General laziness. I also apologise for action scenes. They are needed, but I can't write them very well. Hopefully that will change overtime! AND, I'm sorry for all the mistakes present. I will eventually fix them, so I apologise in advance.

Thank you all for reading this! All the reads, reviews, follows and favourites touch my heart. I'm very happy and privileged to be writing chapters like such for you to read. It warms my heart.

I have a plot for this piece, but suggestions would be gladly appreciated. Not massive suggestions, but maybe prompts. You don't have to. I'm just putting it out there.

Before I go, thanks again. It really means a lot. And another thing... I'll try to update maybe every week or so. I don't want to leave you in the dark for about a month.

That's basically it. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Goodbye, and until next time.


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